Things To Do In London: Friday 9 January 2015

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Dissect the morning papers at The Deptford Lounge

Listings

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL:London Short Film Festival kicks off today, with screenings at venues across London. 75 events over 10 days see 300 films being screened. Take a look at our preview of the festival for more information (and info on how to bag a free beer). £7-£14, prebook, until 18 January

MORNING PAPERS:Storylines at The Deptford Lounge uses the morning papers to create a play. Everyone in The Lounge is able to join in with making the show, as will anyone following the action on Twitter. Free, just turn up, 9.30am

CHEAP ART CLASSES:City Lit runs an afternoon of introductory art classes for £5 per class. Several have sold out but at time of writing, tickets remain for animation and photography lessons. £5, prebook, 2.30pm-8.30pm

UNIVERSITY THEATRE: Queen Mary University Theatre Company presents Tango at the End of Winter at Rich Mix in Shoreditch. It focuses on the life of Sei Kiyomura, a once successful actor who returns to his childhood home.£5/£7, prebook, 7.30pm

MUSIC NIGHT:The Good Ship in Kilburn hosts as evening of soul, rock, pop and groove, with live music from 8pm until 11.30pm, followed by soul, funk and blues until 4am. £4, prebook, 7.30pm

ASTRONOMY:Hampstead Observatory's weekly open nights give the public a chance to view the heavens. NOTE: The observatory only opens if the skies are clear — keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates. Free, just turn up, 8pm-10pm

BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at City Temple on Holborn Viaduct, Stoll in Fulham, Finchley East station car park, and Tesco in Beckenham. See site for terms and conditions. Scared of donating blood? Watch our video.

Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings.Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at hello@londonist.com at least 48 hours before the event, and we will consider it for inclusion. Note: due to high volumes of email, we can’t always reply.

Good Cause of the Day

Book ahead for Royal Geographical Society's evening with Ralph Bousfield, one of the most successful safari guides in Africa, on 14 January. He'll be speaking about Botswana and the history of conservation. All ticket money goes to Ralph's rhino charity and there will be fundraising on the night for Rhinos Without Borders and Wilderness Safaris' Botswana Rhino Reintroduction & Monitoring Project.